LeazesMag

rubbish. Are you bracketing NUFC with the likes of Norwich now ? Possibly the biggest point miss of all time. no it isn't. it's pointless debating with you, because you say nothing about anything, until a few years later and then pretend its what you have always said, like your chum mancmag. It is more difficult for a club with limited resources, but NUFC are one of the biggest clubs in the country. Once again, the point I make will be missed by a multitude of fools who have been completely taken in by Mike Ashley lowering expectations, of which you are one. Of course, if you behave like clubs such as Norwich, it is more difficult, I think is the point you and Baggio appear to have fixed in your tiny brains, but you either can't see it or won't admit it.

rubbish. Are you bracketing NUFC with the likes of Norwich now ?

neither of them could or would have done it without the backing. Crikey. Nobody is mentioning Man City either. Man City being bankrolled is not the reason people said "anybody but Fred", nor did they say Man City being bankrolled was a reason NUFC had to give up trying to compete with and had not chance of beating or finishing above clubs such as Liverpool and Spurs. How was football different, did they have more players, bigger goals, did we have one more player than the opposition, or did teams lie down and let us win ?

Well, my 18 month contract with BT is up in 2 weeks [which I took out because it was a half price offer and I got the installation of the line for half price too] and they can fuck right off after the bother I had, and the increased price it will be, because I'm changing to o2 Well, just spoke to BT, and got someone in England thank fuck, and when I said I was going they offered me a 12 month contract for 14 quid line rental and 8 quid broadband, to continue as I am, no extra charges. This may or may not be a couple of quid more than o2 to tie in with my phone, but I've took it because the actual broadband service has been excellent and it saves fannying around with new modems etc. I'm quite pleased, I'm not really bothered about the price difference of a couple of pints in the pub per month. New contract starts tomorrow. They are still shit, but I'll cross this particular bridge again in 12 months time.

UEFA disagrees, the European Comission disagrees, men who have been in football all their life and have managed clubs, who have access to information beyond your wildest dreams all disagree. Your basically a lone voice on a toon forum claiming what the whole football world recognises. This financial fair play has really just passed you. One season later from your doomsday scenario, without investing a single penny into the stadium, we were off at the top of the premiership so all of those factors were irrelevant to success. Your argument makes no sense, otherwise it cant have been the previous board's actions that caused the upturn. One seaon we're in a cowshed, the next we are competing at the top of the Premiership, it either wasnt as bad as all that in reality OR (ta dahhhh!!!), it was easier back then to achieve it. Honestly just give up Leazes, the argument fails because 1. i have the backing of the legislation designed to address the problem i describe and 2. your scenario back then wasnt that bad as we were able to immediately succeed the following season with the same fanbase and the same stadium. the financial fair play league was NOT the reason why people booed a team for only finishing 5th and wanted "anybody but Fred", nor did they look into a crystal ball and see Man City taken over by a bunch of Arabs thus meaning NUFC had no chance of competing with clubs such as Spurs and Liverpool anymore. And Mike Ashley isn't a financial genius who is looking into a crystal ball and seeing the financial fair play league either, he's just taking the club backwards into competing with the 2nd raters and this legislation has came along and fooled those "anyone but Fred" fools and/or gave them an excuse for not admitting that they were spouting a load of bollocks. by the way, THIS shows your complete ignorance, I didn't realise you were little more than a more educated thompers.

Which team have you been watching? Fuck me, if you hadnt noticed the fulcrum of our attack and style of play has changed this year, last year Barton was delivering balls into the box for Carroll, this season Cabaye is the creative fulcrum and has supplied a few goals for Ba. Ba is also, if you hadnt noticed, a bit of a no.10 and likes to drop deep to pick up the ball, quite similar to Nolan's role when he was playing off the striker last year. Ben Arfa can also play that no. 10 role and has done ok with 4 goals this season. If Ben Arfa score 2 more goals, he'll be a long way down the road to replacing the only thing that Nolan offered. Him being on the books but not in the first team picture is a hugely relevant factor in the decision to sell Nolan. The fact that you come at this from Obertan is Barton's replacement just shows how little you have grasped. Comparing us to Bolton is then just clutching at straws. Barton played on the right, and won player of the season doing it. We currently struggle on the right hand side, but the lad we brought in specifically to play on the right wasn't his replacement. Gotcha! I only repeated exactly what you'd said about Ba (better than Carroll) but that makes me a cretin for making the comparison. Roger! Ben Arfa is a better replacement for Nolan despite rarely being played in Nolan's position and not supplying half the goals or assists. Righty O! The fact you've you've been the one comparing Obertan and Barton before, but now want to say I'm a div to it, because it suits your argument about buying better replacements says it all. he's not the only one calling people "divs" when they know they are totally wrong.

I think you missed my point, 20 years ago, once we were in the premier league we had roughly the same revenue as everyone else. Back then there was very little difference in revenue across clubs. We also had our best years before the stadium expansion so why is the stadium a clear advantage? It hasnt been an advantage to Arsenal. It hasnt been a massive advantage to Sunderland either. Surley we dont need a stadium, we just need to re-create the same conditions that existed when Keegan brought us up through to 1997? If we the stadium and the fanbase are all you need, how come we were shit from 2004 to 2007? The bigger stadium meant the current owner started with a 60m hiddent debt, due diligence is an irrelevance before any mug pipes up with that. Its an advantage but not a clear one because of the debt and because historically we did better as a club before it. If the previous board gave this lot a committed fanbase, how come attendances started to fall before Ashley took over? The bottom line is Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City have enormous revenue compared to us and that makes the competition stiffer. Now we have around one third to one quarter of the resources of 4 teams above us, it means its more of an achievement to qualify regularly for the Champions League, (which of course we have never done regularly). Actually no, the bottom line is this: the financial concentration of power has led to a decrease in quality of the competition and it has become harder for clubs to compete with the financial elite. This point is so well recognised outside of knobheads on toon forums, that the European commiission has allowed UEFA to table legislation which goes slightly counter to the underlying principles of the common market. Financial Fair Play legislation is the incontrevertible proof that there has been a concentration of power at the top of football which has made it harder for clubs with less resources to succeed. Its a fact. are you also saying they shouldn't have expanded the stadium The goalposts were the same for everybody. Remember SJH saying back in 1992 how things were going to go and the club had to make sure they got in on it ? What stopped other clubs doing the same thing "if they all had the same finance" ? Stop being so defensive, you know damn well that Mike Ashley has had it easy compared to the previous owners, and still not matched them either or got anywhere close in 5 years.

are you saying they shouldn't have expanded the stadium ? [which was due to finish the repayments soon by the way]. Is that more of the skunkers genius you are recycling ?

There's no reason to believe we'd spend 5 years getting to a break even point.....then flash £50m to make a push on the top 4. We might go incrementally higher than than in recent seasons, but I just can't see "push on" funds being made available. the first line is something I also have said numerous times over the years, and a few certain posters dismissed as nonsense along with the other points that are now happening too. It doesn't make any sense at all for the club to "make ends meet" then go for broke for the top 4. The pointers to the mentality inside the club have been obvious for years. It simply isn't going to happen. They will settle for premiership survival and the vehicle for Sports Direct rather than do that, and sell a player to make a profit if this is not done operationally. It's as obvious as the nose on your face and it's absolutely amazing that people are still bickering about it, and will do for the next few years in fact, at which point they will make posts proclaiming how it was all inevitable, unavoidable and the way to go for some reason.

i didn't realise your man took over a club with one foot in the 3rd division, unable to sell for less than the transfer fee for one player ie Gazza at the time, a half full cowshed of a stadium ie 20,000 supporters ? Or do you, like others, think the previous regime brought an end to decades of trophies and glorious success ? If the club repeated the finishes of the previous board, it would be a bigger achievement. Pointless discussion as its not very likely, i was just looking for recognition that its a tougher, more competitive environment now. the starting points are massively different. One regime had one foot in the 3rd division, sub 20,000 crowds, a cowshed of a stadium and couldn't sell it for less than it cost for one footballer. The other had one of the biggest grounds in europe, which was full every game, the 14th biggest revenues in world football, and an established club expected to qualify regularly for europe at the very least. Absolutely no comparison. This is by far the most deluded and daft post you have ever made Chez, with all due respect, it's an absolute no brainer and what you say is a complete nonsense.

i didn't realise your man took over a club with one foot in the 3rd division, unable to sell for less than the transfer fee for one player ie Gazza at the time, a half full cowshed of a stadium ie 20,000 supporters ? Or do you, like others, think the previous regime brought an end to decades of trophies and glorious success ? If the club repeated the finishes of the previous board, it would be a bigger achievement. Pointless discussion as its not very likely, i was just looking for recognition that its a tougher, more competitive environment now. would it bollocks Mike Ashley took over an established club with one of the biggest and best stadiums in europe with a fully expanded and committed fanbase, having played in europe for the best part of 15 years. Compared to heading the way of Sheff Wed [i've said the state we were in hundreds of times and can only think that those who don't understand it must have not actually seen it, which explains their naivety]. There is absolutely no comparison, and he WILL NOT match them even with that massive head start. I didn't think you were that deluded.

good reply. You utter shambles of a man.

what a load of crap How many times does it have to be explained - they funded most of their current squad from the sales of Carrick, Berbatov, Defoe (profit) and Keane(profit). most ? Do you mean they have handed the entire proceeds of those sales to their manager, plus more ? Doesn't sound like the way NUFC are run to me. You are better off on skunkers, where they also believe this crap.

are you capable on responding intelligently to any facts anywhere ? Why haven't you answered my post nr 1373 ? Because you're insane. because you know that you can't. Please tell us what is incorrect about that post? What an utter shambles of a poster you are.

That's how Spurs have done/are doing it. what a load of crap

i didn't realise your man took over a club with one foot in the 3rd division, unable to sell for less than the transfer fee for one player ie Gazza at the time, a half full cowshed of a stadium ie 20,000 supporters ? Or do you, like others, think the previous regime brought an end to decades of trophies and glorious success ?

Fucking hell, are you and Charlie Cheswick working a shift pattern? are you capable on responding intelligently to any facts anywhere ? Why haven't you answered my post nr 1373 ?

He has certainly lowered your expectations - Not so chum, in fact i'd say my outlook is considerably higher than it has been since Bobby Robson was sacked, now that the club appears to be in the best shape it has been for a while! He has consistently sold many of our best players over the last 4 years - what planet have you been on? - As always this planet mate, however let me reply with a question "how many of these BEST players would get into our team now?" I'll give you Milner & Enrique, but I'm glad Nolan/Barton/Carroll have gone. And I'm especially glad we got £40m for those three!! Also, given that these BEST players have been replaced with better (or hadn't you noticed - if so what planet have you been frequenting?) Basically, what you crying about? He has not backed the manager - and instead has made a net profit on transfers of over 30 million - I'm assuming you agree that we have a better team now, (if not please state all reasoning behind your decision.) so how that can be interpreted as not backing the manager is staggering (especially given that we have been constructing a team with an albatross of millions of pounds debt round our necks). Made a net profit of £30 million on tranfers, SO FAR perhaps, however i would not advise spunking the virgin money sponsorship money on one injury-prone-mercenary-player, as per the mistakes of our past. Maybe, just maybe, we have done the hard work in regrouping, and by improving our financial standing we have actually offered ourselves the chance to spend more money in the long term than we could have done without it (Unless of course you'd like us to have continued pissing good money on loan/bank interest charges?) Of course he is using the club as a vehicle to sit alongside Sports Direct - why do you think he has taken the shameful decision to rename St James' Park? Do you agree with it? - I can readily admit that I dont know the full reasoning/workings behind adorning SJP with sports direct logos, can you?? However what difference does it make?, so he swapped some Logos for some other ones, does it stop me enjoying the match?? does it fuck like. He HASNT renamed SJP...... not to ME anyway, not to 52,000 others, and many beyond that. I'll always call it SJP, as will the majority, however if someone wanted to pay £10m to put their company name up then let them! Again, makes no difference to my enjoyment of the game, and i cannot imagine EVER hearing anyone around me calling it SDA...... you might be, but not me! There is no chance of him matching those league positions on a consistent basis - - Well, as already pointed out, IF we finish 7th this year, that will be ahead of our Premier average wont it? Tell me what is so bad about progress? You cant jump to the front of the queue now the way we did in our first season in Premier, just absolutely cannot now. I'll be happy if I see consistent progress, year after year. do you seriously think we can challenge for a Champions League position with a sell your best players and replace them with cheaper policy? I don't think we will continue to sell our best players, however I'd like to think we will continue to bring better players in..... regardless of how much they cost! If they ARE cheaper then FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC what's the problem? pointless arguing with you. Brummiemag has put up the facts of the entire ownership of the previous regime from 1992 until 2007. You seem to be young, maybe the phrase cherry picking is accurate in more ways than one

AH, post 1373, Leaze's very own personal bastion.... let's see.. Hmmm, it appears to be constructed from old points, which haven't even been extrapolated, or furthered upon. Ok, making a schoolboy error i know, but let's dig deeper. He/has/is/will continue to sell best players - guess his copter must have been double booked in January, cos i cant remember any of our best players leaving!! Not back the manager with money - didn't we get a new no9 in January, how much was he? He IS running the club as a vehicle to sit alongside Sports Direct - Interestingly enough this looks completely like conjecture and personal opinion, however I can't imagine LM dealing in anything other than FACTS, so i'm sure he'll be able to back this with solid proof. He HAS [and STILL IS] lowered expectations among foolish supporters - Well he certainly HAS lowered LM's expectations since Freddy, and it does say FOOLISH supporters, this must be what he means...... bless him. He will NOT match the league positions of his predecessors on a consistent basis - Okay, we're gonna need a bit of maths for this :- (93/94 - 3rd, 94/95 - 5th, 95/96 - 2nd, 96/97- 2nd, 97/98 - 13th, 98/99 - 13th, 99/00 - 11th, 00/01 - 11th, 01/02 - 4th, 02/03 - 3rd, 03/04 - 5th, 04/05 - 14th, 05/06 - 7th, 06/07 - 13th) Average finish = 7.57, strictly speaking should round it up to 8th, but that'll just give him something to moan about, so in a goodwill gesture to Fat Freddy we'll call it 7th!! Hmmm, I wonder if LM realised that was what it was??? Anyhow, lets fucking hope we can do better than that eh? I for one think we will! So I have collated and reviewed the data, and my conclusion is..... Leazesmag is/has been/will always be an UTTER BLEND Oh and Leaze's now I've responded to your holy grail of a post, are you planning on responding to the 10 or so questions of mine you have chosen to ignore??? He has certainly lowered your expectations He has consistently sold many of our best players over the last 4 years - what planet have you been on? He has not backed the manager - and instead has made a net profit on transfers of over 30 million Of course he is using the club as a vehicle to sit alongside Sports Direct - why do you think he has taken the shameful decision to rename St James' Park? Do you agree with it? There is no chance of him matching those league positions on a consistent basis - do you seriously think we can challenge for a Champions League position with a sell your best players and replace them with cheaper policy? thank you for answering that utter shambles of a post, brummiemag. Of course, everything you say is factually correct, rather than the cherry picking and absurd emotionally motivated response from a person who appears to be the brand new village idiot. I wonder if he is thompers but without the swearing and abuse ?

Transfer spend for the last two seasons: Bolton: £17.5m Everton: £9.5m Newcastle: £33.65m The 'Bolton/Blackburn/Wigan' comparisons seem to persist in spite of league positions too. With LM then citing league positions as irrefutable COLD HARD FACT to 'win' some point or other in the very next post. as you also have bickered with me for years, you can answer post nr 1373 as Gemmill has opted out. I seem to remember Bolton and Blackburn being 7th or thereabouts in the league at some stage mind, and they certainly haven't stayed there by keeping their best players, but you can continue to make things up if your "opinion" tells you differently. What's the betting you don't respond to post nr 1373 and prove what you have bickered with me about for years is all wrong

Bolton were top 7 in March last year. I suppose that renders their relegation this season uttterly pointless. I think you have just won 'the most pointless post of the year award'. What that adds to the discussion it literally nothing, its a pointless post with no relevance. Unless you want to argue that spending 10m on Cisse is the equivalent of selling your best striker and tying up two of your best players is like not offering new contracts to one of yoiur top players, or that being heavily in debt and needing to sell players is just like getting revenue ahead of costs for the first time in 5 years. Thats what you would need to be doing to actually support that post. Which if you are, makes you pointless. its exactly the same as one of the Ashley apologists saying that if Bolton can get 7th while selling their best players then we can do the same man

That's not the positions we've replaced though is it? Ben Arfa* was here before we sold Carroll, the first of those 4 to go. RW - Barton > Obertan LB - Enrique > Santon CF - Ba > Carroll CF/MF - Cisse/Cabaye > Nolan *not that Ben arfa has been half as effective as Nolan either btw. Which team have you been watching? Fuck me, if you hadnt noticed the fulcrum of our attack and style of play has changed this year, last year Barton was delivering balls into the box for Carroll, this season Cabaye is the creative fulcrum and has supplied a few goals for Ba. Ba is also, if you hadnt noticed, a bit of a no.10 and likes to drop deep to pick up the ball, quite similar to Nolan's role when he was playing off the striker last year. Ben Arfa can also play that no. 10 role and has done ok with 4 goals this season. If Ben Arfa score 2 more goals, he'll be a long way down the road to replacing the only thing that Nolan offered. Him being on the books but not in the first team picture is a hugely relevant factor in the decision to sell Nolan. The fact that you come at this from Obertan is Barton's replacement just shows how little you have grasped. Comparing us to Bolton is then just clutching at straws. comparing us to Bolton, Everton and others who make a fleeting visit to the top 6 or 7 positions or so, is actually spot on because we are now operating like those very clubs did and still do. That is precisely why what happened to them will happen to us. Enjoy it while it lasts ? Sure, but NUFC are bigger than this. Already a place in europe could be in the bag if they had bought more quality with that money that has gone missing. If you can't see the signs that point to the mentality inside the club, then it's really your problem, especially when it is pointed out to you and you choose to ignore it for whatever reason.

better to build on your best players and sell your worst players though ? One or two people won't actually get this.

That's not how LM has portrayed it at all. He's got no issues with selling anyone if it's right for the club and the manager is backed to replace them. Of course it's not how he's portrayed it, because what I've set out is the real world and he portrays anything but. He believes we'll sell anyone and everyone for the glimpse of a profit, as a nailed on club policy so the cash can be "pocketed", not that he understands what pocketing is. Your prolonged defence of him is highly amusing though. I understand what "pocketing" is, but you have no clue at all about football.

You weren't making that argument when I responded though. You and Gemmil have been saying we don't sell our best players and LM is daft for saying we do. We clearly have done though. Because he presents it as selling the best players and leaves it at that. It's completely disingenuous, but he needs it to make him "right". many many clubs have a season where they finish 6th, 7th etc then dive like a stone after a year or two, when the manager goes, or whatever, and they do it because they are operating the same policies which we are now operating. The teams that keep their best players and back their managers and show the intent to move further, are the ones that do it, or are giving themselves a chance of doing it. It isn't a matter of being "right", this is a fact of footballing life. This and the last post is what I have been effectively saying for years, while you and a few other dumb cunts say its rubbish, which is just about all you say. Tell me what in the post I made earlier ie number 1373, explaining what I have been saying for years, is rubbish and then tell us where it is incorrect, rather than avoid a reply. This is the last time I'm explaining to YOU. In future when you say what I say is rubbish, I will point you to that post and ask you to show us what is wrong about what I say. If you are unable to look at the bigger picture and the setup of the club, and are fooled by a good run, then it is your problem, but you will not prove me wrong because I see the bigger picture, while you and others can not. You utter imbecile.